


honey, i'm still free (take a chance on me)

by potatwoo



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - After College/University, Blind Date, Flirting, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, M/M, some angst if u squint, this is me indulging in johnten have a nice day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 12:09:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17344979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potatwoo/pseuds/potatwoo
Summary: jaehyun and taeyong decided to set their single best friends up for a blind date; little did they know that they have some history with each other.





	honey, i'm still free (take a chance on me)

**Author's Note:**

> johnny has the perfect height to give ten a kiss on the forehead and idk what to do with this info

“Hey, how would you feel if I set you up on a blind date?”

Ten stopped taking a sip out of his soda and looked at Taeyong with a raised eyebrow.

“I mean, I’m not opposed to the idea,” Ten slowly replied, putting his drink down on the table. “But I also don’t recall you ever introducing me to a tall, charming, and hot friend of yours. So we’re already off to a rocky start.”

“I might not have a friend who fits your standards,” Taeyong said after taking a bite out of his hamburger, “but Jaehyun does. And he thinks you two could hit it off.”

“Jaehyun, huh?” Ten contemplated, picking up his own burger. 

“He’s Jaehyun’s childhood best friend and new co-host at the radio station you literally never tune into,” Taeyong went on to fill in Ten’s curiosities. “They used to live in the same neighborhood when they were kids and went to the same schools until Jae moved out of town before high school. Fast forward to post-undergrad and they’re back in each other’s lives again.”

“Have you met the guy?”

“He’s had dinner with Jae and me a handful of times,” Taeyong replied. “We like to call him our honorary third wheel. After you, of course.”

“Hm…” Ten hummed in thought. “I know you said Jae thinks we could hit it off, but do you?”

“I didn’t see it at first,” Taeyong honestly admitted, “but after Jaehyun brought it up one day and started listing your commonalities with each other, I was sold.”

“What’s our commonalities?” Ten asked, his interest piqued.

“That’s for us to know and for you two to find out,” Taeyong smiled, pointing a french fry to himself then to Ten at the same he spoke.

“Fair enough,” Ten said despite being a little unsatisfied with the answer. 

“So what do you say?”

“I’ll do the blind date.”

 

 

 

 

“How do I look?”

Ten spun around, showing every angle of his outfit to Taeyong and Doyoung, both of whom were easily accessible fashion critics since they all lived in the same apartment. Ten was wearing an all-black ensemble with a loose-fitting button down tucked into his signature ripped jeans and a sleek leather jacket.

“You look like you’re either the hot, young, rebellious son of a CEO or the guy who everyone in the city knows as the hot, mysterious bachelor,” Taeyong said. “And in either scenario, you own a motorcycle.”

“That’s oddly specific,” Doyoung said, tilting his head in thought as he gave Ten a once over. “But I hate that I can see that.”

Ten laughed.

“Just my type of aesthetic,” Ten jokingly replied. He then picked up a black choker from the small jewelry stand he had on top of the nearby drawer. Raising the item to his neck, he asked, “Choker or no choker?”

“Choker,” Taeyong and Doyoung said in unison.

Ten smiled in content at the response because it wasn’t like he was actually going to take no for an answer. After putting on the piece of jewelry, Ten checked the time on his phone and did a little excited dance that did not go unnoticed by Doyoung.

“Someone’s ready to finally get some action in his love life,” he lightheartedly said.

“The dating drought has lasted for way too long,” Ten said. “So long that I might bust out a wedding ring if the guy is even just the bare minimum of a decent human being.”

Doyoung laughed.

“Oh, Jaehyun’s calling,” Taeyong suddenly said, and the two others curiously brought their attention to him. “Hey, babe… Yeah, Ten’s in front of me right now…. Doyoung’s here, too…. Okay, I’ll put you on speaker.”

“Hey, Jaehyun,” Ten greeted.

_Hey, Ten. And hi, Doyoung!_

“Hello, hello.”

_Ten, your date’s about to leave his apartment. I checked Google Maps, and it’ll take him more or less twenty minutes to get to the cafe and about fifteen minutes for you._

“Sounds good,” Ten said. “Can you send me the address before you forget?”

A couple seconds passed before Ten heard his own phone vibrate with a new notification.

_Sent it._

“Thanks.”

_No problem._

“Babe,” Taeyong spoke up. “Can you describe how your friend looks so Ten knows what to look out for?”

_He’s wearing a black hoodie underneath a dark denim jacket and a pair of black jeans…. He has brown hair that’s parted a little off-center…. Oh! And he’s tall enough to stand out in most crowds. That should be the biggest give away._

“Beautiful,” Ten said, memorizing every detail Jaehyun provided. 

_I’ll be going now,_ Jaehyun then said. _I hope you have fun on your date tonight!_

“Thanks for ending my date drought, Jae. You’re the real one.”

Jaehyun laughed. Everyone then went on to exchange goodbyes before the call ended.

 

 

 

The cafe that Jaehyun arranged for Ten and his date to meet seemed like a pretty popular hangout spot for both college students looking for a place to study and adults who had time to spare to catch up with their friends. The walls of the spacious area were mostly bricked, with potted green plants hanging out alongside other decor placed nicely on the shelves around the shop. Ten liked the rustic theme that the cafe had going on and made a mental note to take Taeyong and Doyoung there one day.

Standing by the entrance of the cafe, Ten scanned the area with particular details in mind.

“Denim jacket, black jeans, brown hair, tall as fuck….. Denim jacket, black jeans, brown hair, tall as fuck….. Denim jacket, black jeans, brown hair, tall as fuck….”

As Ten mumbled the details like a mantra, easily cancelling out the people who were not fitting the description, his eyes landed on someone who was walking out of the restroom. When he got a good look at the person’s face, Ten’s heart immediately sunk in a strange mix of fear and something he couldn’t quite pinpoint.

_No way, it can’t be him…._

Almost reluctantly, Ten went down his mental checklist only to cross every detail out and realize that his blind date was, in fact, Johnny Suh. 

Ten watched Johnny re-occupy a small table for two, his back facing Ten, before taking his phone out of his pocket to check his emails. Filled with a sudden burst of cold feet and a palpitating heart, Ten took a seat in the nearest available table before taking out his own phone and texting the unfamiliar phone number that Jaehyun gave him once he left his apartment.

_Hey, there! I’m sorry, but something suddenly came up and I won’t be able to meet you tonight. I understand that I’m cutting it really close to our meet up time, so I sincerely apologize if you’re already waiting at the cafe._

Ten pressed send, feeling like the biggest asshole for lying to someone who came into this date with good intentions. He watched as Johnny opened and read the message on his phone, and when he noticed the other start typing out a reply, Ten looked away.

A few seconds passed before Ten got a notification.

_Hi! It’s cool, I wasn’t at the cafe for too long. Thanks for letting me know... I hope everything’s ok :)_

Ten subtly watched as Johnny got up from his seat and started to make his way out of the cafe. While walking, he briefly typed onto his phone before bringing the device up to his ear. He seemed to be making a call, and Ten could only imagine it was to let Jaehyun know of the sudden change of plans.

His imagination was proven right when his phone vibrated.

_What happened?_

 

 

 

Johnny Suh.

Their history started off three summers ago, in between their third and fourth year of college. They met on a hookup site guised as an online dating app, their profiles half-jokingly set up by friends who wanted them to “live a little” and put themselves out there. Deciding that there wasn’t anything for Ten to lose as long as he was playing it safe and consensual, he spent some of his free time talking with no strings attached to a handful of people until the people narrowed down to just Johnny.

Johnny was really good at holding a conversation through text messages and had a way with words, easily making him Ten’s favorite person to talk to on the app. Although some of their messages had flirtatious connotations, it wasn’t until they first met in person a few weeks after they began texting that sexual tensions really rose between them. Ten wasn’t entirely sure who made the first move, but by the end of their first day hanging out, they were sprawled out under the covers of Johnny’s bed with bodies drained of all their energy.

The two of them were all about having fun, and going to two different universities across town from each other made their hookups feel like a secret rendezvous of sorts. For the first couple of months, neither of them felt the need to question their dynamic, which ultimately led to the issue of not exactly knowing what the ground rules of their relationship was.

As more time passed, Ten started to feel a shift in their dynamic as a new layer of emotional attachment blossomed between the two of them. Bit by bit they began to share the deeper parts of their life with one another, and casual hookups turned into something that felt much more emotional and significantly much more passionate. It was scary and somewhat confusing for Ten to think that they were crossing a line that neither of them were entirely sure was okay to cross.

And when Johnny suddenly suggested one day that they should end whatever they have between them “before someone gets hurt,” Ten took that as a sign that the line between friends and boyfriends was really never theirs to cross.

 

 

 

“So what you’re trying to say is that you flaked on someone who was, quite possibly, the love of your life?”

Ten groaned at Taeyong’s question, flipping over so that he was now facing the ceiling instead of the TV. He was currently sitting on the sofa in his living room with Taeyong’s lap as his impromptu pillow. Taeyong ran his fingers through Ten’s dark brown hair in an effort to comfort his distressed best friend.

“I don't know about him being the love of my life, but he was definitely someone special to me at the time,” Ten replied.

“What a small world, though,” Doyoung said from where he sat on the floor between the sofa and coffee table. At the same time, he was flipping through the different channels on TV, looking for something to watch. “Who knew that your mystery man in college was Jaehyun’s childhood best friend this whole time?”

Doyoung, Taeyong, Jaehyun, and Ten all went to the same university and became good friends along the way. Everyone knew that Ten started seeing someone around their last year of college, but Ten never really talked about the guy’s identity and no one felt inclined to ask about it. Even when things ended between Ten and Johnny, Ten habitually didn't drop any name.

“And who knew that Johnny’s been at such a close social proximity to me for the past couple of years?” Ten pitifully added. “With how many times he’s gone out with Taeyong and Jaehyun, how have we not crossed paths yet?”

“Well, you’re crossing paths now,” Jaehyun said, walking in from the kitchen with four bowls of ice cream. He handed each person one bowl, making sure to give Ten the one with a few more scoops. As Ten sat up and adjusted his position to be next to Taeyong, Jaehyun sat on the floor next to Doyoung and scooted between his boyfriend’s legs. “At least you almost did this evening.”

“Has Johnny ever brought up his college story with you?” Doyoung curiously asked.

“The most he’s ever talked about college was when he told me about all the major changes and quarter life crises he had and the time he rushed frats just for free food,” Jaehyun replied, and Ten knew exactly what stories he was talking about.

“Oh,” Jaehyun lit up as he suddenly remembered something. “Now that I think about it, he did bring up barely having a love life but also going through a lot with someone before breaking things off.”

“Bingo,” Doyoung said.

“He didn’t seem like he wanted to dwell on it too much, so I didn’t ask him any more questions about it,” Jaehyun continued. “Sorry for not connecting the dots back to your experience.”

Ten sighed.

“No need to be sorry,” Ten said, taking a large scoop of his ice cream. “You and Taeyong genuinely thought that we’d be a good match.”

“I mean, despite everything, I still kind of think you two could be a good match,” Taeyong said.

“We didn't work out back then,” Ten replied. “And I don't expect much to be any different now.”

 

 

 

Almost a week had passed since the whole blind date situation, and Ten would say that he did a relatively good job at not thinking a lot about that day. He had his job as an art teacher to keep his mind more than occupied during the day and his involvements with a dance company to keep him busy in the evening.

When he got back to his apartment after what felt like such a long day, he decided to treat himself to an impromptu at-home spa day. With Taeyong off on a date with Jaehyun and Doyoung running some errands, Ten had the whole apartment to himself, which easily meant that he could blast music on his speakers and stay in the bathroom for as long as he liked without any complaints.

After taking a nice long bath accompanied with pretty bath bombs and scented candles, Ten got dressed in warm pajamas before laying in bed with a sheet mask on his face.

As he scrolled through his phone to kill time, a new text notification popped up on the top of his screen and almost instantly snapped Ten out of his relaxation.

_Hey! How are you? Whatever came up last week seemed urgent, and I just wanted to check up on you and see if everything’s okay._

Ten sighed deeply, hating how sweet Johnny was being despite not knowing who he was. That, and the fact that Johnny seemed concerned about a non-existent urgent matter.

_Hi! I’ve been doing well~ Everything from that night’s been sorted out already, so no need to worry :)_

After sending that message, Ten found himself following up with another text before he could stop himself.

_How have you been, though?_

Less than two minutes passed before he got a reply.

_I’m glad to hear that! I’ve been doing well myself._

After Ten finished read the message but before he could think of a reply, Johnny followed up with another, much lengthier text.

_So I’m not sure if I’m reaching or not, but hearing Jaehyun talk about how excited you were for our date in the time leading up to it made it seem like you were looking forward to it as much as I was, so it’s kind of a pity that it never followed through. Maybe we can reschedule? No pressure, though!_

Ten sat up in his bed as if doing so could help him think things through more properly. Staring down at the message on his phone, Ten was at a loss of how to respond.

“No pressure, my ass,” Ten muttered to himself. If he was truly talking to someone he had yet to meet for the first time, the pressure to choose the right answer wouldn't be there. But of course, that wasn't the case and the right answer was not clear.

Ten thought about what Taeyong told him and how, despite the history they shared, they still seemed like they could hit it off if they tried. With a deep and nervous breath, Ten typed a reply.

_Yeah, I’d love to reschedule! Let me know your availability and I’ll get back to you with a time and date :)_

 

 

 

Saturday at 7PM.

That was the time and date that they agreed upon. This time, they decided to meet up in a cozy little hole-in-the-wall ramen shop located at the halfway point between their apartments. It was one of Ten’s favorite food places, and the main reason why he suggested the place was that if things go badly with Johnny, he would have his go-to comfort food right in front of him.

Ten was first to arrive at the restaurant, a few minutes earlier than planned just so he could calm his nerves and think about any questions that could be brought up during the date. He got seated near a window with a pretty view of a busy street in the city, which the overdramatic side of him figured he could throw himself out of just in case he couldn't bear with the awkwardness that may ensue.

He wore a navy blue Hawaiian shirt with white flowers on them, tucked into ripped dark grey jeans and coupled with a few accessories including his infamous choker. Just as he started wondering if he should've brought a jacket with him, his phone vibrated with a new message.

_Hey! I just entered the restaurant. Are you here?_

Ten wanted to sock himself in the face for feeling his heart race at the message.

_Yeah! I’m near the back, by the window and to the left of the empty booth. I’ve got a Hawaiian shirt on._

Ten sent the message and turned his attention to where he saw Johnny waiting by the entrance. With a white graphic t-shirt and light denim jeans on, Johnny looked effortlessly handsome. He watched as Johnny’s eyes slowly scanned the area until they finally landed on Ten. As if he were in disbelief, Johnny briefly glanced back down at the message on his phone before looking back up.

Ten timidly waved, giving a smile that couldn't quite meet his eyes. Johnny returned the gesture and made his way over.

_Here goes nothing._

“Hey,” Johnny greeted, and Ten said it right back. Gesturing towards the seat across from Ten, he jokingly asked, “Is this seat taken?”

Ten laughed softly, ignoring the little voice inside his head that reminded him of how Johnny was always the type to try lightening the mood. More often than not, he succeeded.

“Now it is,” Ten replied, passing Johnny a menu as the latter took a seat. In an effort to further lighten up the mood, Ten added, “You look familiar. Have we met before?”

“I think we have,” Johnny said, playing along. “College, maybe?”

“Sounds about right,” Ten nodded before the two of them broke into soft laughter over how ridiculous they were being. Almost miraculously, it seemed like the bulk of their tensions disappeared into thin air.

A waiter soon came over to take their orders and left just as quickly as they arrived.

“God, what were the odds that we’d be set up on a date,” Johnny said, looking like he was still in slight disbelief. “I didn't even know you knew Jaehyun and Taeyong.”

“We went to the same college and became really good friends,” Ten explained. “They didn't know we knew each other because they only knew you as my ‘mystery man.’”

“Wait, did you cancel on our last date because you found out it was me?” Johnny suddenly asked. Ten gave a guilty smile, to which Johnny only laughed softly at.

“Sorry…” Ten said. “I just freaked out on the spot when I saw you.”

“No, no, I understand,” Johnny assured. “Sometimes I, too, freak out over how handsome I am.”

Ten laughed, shaking his head and rolling his eyes at Johnny’s comment. A smile formed on Johnny’s own lips when he saw that Ten took the joke well. 

 

 

 

The evening seemed to pass by very quickly, because the next time Ten checked the time on his phone, it was already nearing 9:00. Both Johnny and he have been done with their food for the past forty-five minutes and have just been talking about virtually anything that came to mind.

Johnny continued to be one of the easiest people to talk to, Ten was quick to realize, which made him wonder why he ever thought that the evening could actually be filled with major lapses of awkward silence. They filled each other in on what they’ve been up to recently, laughed a lot at many of the stories they exchanged, poked fun at each other for things they did back in college, and more.

“You asked to be the small spoon way more than a 6 foot guy should be asking.”

“I only did it because I knew it annoyed you,” Johnny laughed. “You’ve got to admit, it was kind of cute though.”

“It was just a bust to my 5 foot 7 ego,” Ten jokingly said. “But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t amuse me sometimes.”

“You know what you asked for a lot?”

“What?”

“Forehead kisses.”

Ten felt his ears warm up because he wasn't exactly wrong. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it when no words came out. Johnny laughed.

“To my defense,” Ten then said, “I didn't _blatantly_ ask you for them. You just gave me a forehead kiss whenever I looked at you.”

“And most of the time you’d pucker your lips as some kind of cue if I only stared back at you,” Johnny countered.

“Whatever,” Ten said, a sign of defeat. “I enjoyed each and every one of those kisses, so thank you for your service.”

“Excuse me,” a waiter said when they walked up to the table, which immediately got the two boys’ attention. “Just a friendly reminder that we’ll be closing in about twenty minutes.”

“Okay, thank you,” Johnny replied, and Ten nodded in agreement. As the waiter walked away, Johnny turned back to Ten. “Ready to go?”

Never did Ten think that he would actually get a bit sad at the thought of wrapping up their date.

“Yeah.”

After they paid their share of their dinner, they exited the restaurant and walked outside to the rather chilly air. The street was still pretty busy with the foot traffic of a typical Saturday night, making the night feel young.

“Well, it was nice catching up with you again,” Ten said. “I had a lot of fun tonight.”

“Yeah... I hope we can do this again sometime,” Johnny replied.

“Definitely,” Ten agreed, a little surprised by how he didn't hesitate to say that.

The two smiled at each other before Ten decided to do something even more surprising by stepping forward to hug Johnny. It took a couple of seconds for Johnny to reciprocate the hug, but once he did, he included a comforting squeeze. It was that moment that Ten realized just how much he missed Johnny’s warm embrace.

When they pulled away, the two of them waved at each other before Ten turned around to start walking. A few steps later, Ten heard Johnny call his name.

“Wait, Ten!”

“What is it?” Ten curiously asked when he turned back around. He was still close enough for them to speak without raising their voices too much.

“Do you actually want to grab some ice cream right now?” Johnny asked. “I know a place nearby.”

Ten smiled.

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

 

 

 

“How was your date yesterday?”

“It was wonderful and much better than I was expecting, which is why I’m not going forward with anything Johnny-related.”

Doyoung raised an eyebrow.

“And that’s supposed to make sense, how?”

Doyoung and Ten were currently sorting out their combined laundry inside Doyoung’s room, with Doyoung ironing whatever clothes needed to be ironed and Ten doing all the folding on the other’s bed. Taeyong was currently out doing the groceries because he insisted on making dinner that evening after Doyoung nearly burned down the kitchen three nights ago.

Ten put aside the shirt he just finished folding before falling back on Doyoung’s mattress and covering his face with a pillow. He mumbled something with a half-assed effort to actually be heard through the pillow.

“What?” Doyoung asked, and Ten repeated himself just a tad bit louder but to no avail. “Still can’t hear anything you're saying.”

“What if he leaves again?” Ten’s clear voice finally filled the air.

Ten soon felt a dip on the bed before Doyoung took away the pillow that he had on his face.

“You’re really worried about that?” Doyoung asked, his question genuine rather than spiteful.

Ten nodded.

“It hurt the first time we ended things,” he explained. “I could only imagine how much more it’ll hurt the second time around.”

“If you ask me,” Doyoung began, “I think it would be a waste if you let your fear of ending things keep you from all the good that may come from giving yourself and Johnny another chance.”

“What if Johnny was just being nice during our date and actually doesn’t want to continue seeing me?”

“Didn’t you say he suddenly asked if you wanted to get ice cream after you two said your goodbyes?” Doyoung asked. “I don't know about you, but that seems like he didn't want his night with you to end.”

Ten kept quiet, and Doyoung took that as an indicator that he was almost convinced, but not quite yet.

“What if Johnny isn’t actually looking to date?”

“Okay, now you’re just finding excuses,” Doyoung said, slamming his pillow onto Ten’s torso as the latter half laughed, half guarded his body. “He agreed to a blind date for god’s sake. The guy’s ready to get cuffed.”

“Do you really think I should go for it?” Ten finally asked.

“Yes,” Doyoung replied without a second to spare. “You should also communicate with him these feelings you have the next time you see him. Did you two talk at all about your non-break up break up?”

Ten shook his head. “We just talked about the fond memories.”

“Well, one of you has to bring it up eventually,” Doyoung said, “to clear up any lingering misunderstandings before you two move forward.”

 

 

 

Ten and Johnny met up once again after a week of just keeping steady contact through texts and the occasional calls when one or both of them were too lazy to type out their thoughts. The very first plan of the day was for Johnny to formally meet Doyoung when he picked Ten up from the apartment, and Ten was relieved when the two seemed to get along quite well. The next plan was to get some filling brunch, but the bulk of the day was spent at the flower fields near the outskirts of the city.

One relatively platonic activity that the two enjoyed doing together was having photoshoots. Johnny loved photography, to the point where it eventually grew into a freelance career for him alongside his more stable job at the radio station, and Ten loved anything that had to do with using art as a platform to express feelings and emotions, so photoshoots were always a win-win pastime for them.

“Did the photos come out okay? Or do I look crazy in all of them?”

Ten walked away from the cluster of sunflowers he modeled in the midst of and walked over to Johnny, who was now reviewing the last set of photos that he took on his DSLR.

“They came out really well,” Johnny replied, lowering the camera so that Ten could see the screen as well. “You look beautiful in all the photos.”

Ten smiled at the compliment, a little flustered with how naturally the praise came out of Johnny’s mouth.

“Thanks,” Ten replied. “Do you have a favorite shot?”

“Hm…” Johnny scanned through the photos once more and brightened up when he found the specific one he was looking for. “This one.”

The photo that Johnny selected was a candid shot of Ten mid-laugh as he held a sunflower and told some dumb flower joke, his bright eyes looking beyond the camera lens and presumably at Johnny.

“I wasn’t even ready there,” Ten said.

“Which makes your emotions look more raw,” Johnny replied. “You seemed genuinely convinced that you were the funniest person in the world at that moment, and it clearly shows.”

Johnny laughed when Ten gently slapped his arm at the teasing comment.

“It was a good joke, okay?”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Johnny replied, laughing again when Ten rolled his eyes. “But really though, this photo’s my favorite shot. Your happiness was very sincere at that moment.”

Ten’s cheeks warmed up at Johnny’s words yet again.

Suddenly, Ten’s mind wandered back to the advice that Doyoung gave him last week. He knew he had to confront Johnny soon, but he felt like he had no opportunity to do so without making it seem like he was dropping a sudden emotional bomb during a light moment.

“It’s starting to get a little dark,” Johnny suddenly said, snapping Ten out of his thoughts. “We should start heading back to the city.”

 

The walk back to Johnny’s car was rather uneventful, but the forty-minute ride back to more or less the heart of the city took a turn the moment Johnny spoke up.

“Hey, Ten?” He said as he merged into the freeway.

“Yeah?” Ten asked, tearing his gaze from the window to look at Johnny.

The latter kept his eyes on the road, occasionally glancing at the car mirrors, as he spoke.

“I owe it to you to explain why I wanted to end whatever we had going on between us back in college,” he began, a soft chuckle escaping his lips when he heard a soft ‘oh’ come out of Ten’s lips. “Sorry, I felt like this car ride would be the most appropriate time today to bring this up.”

“Don’t worry, it’s better than any other timing I had in mind,” Ten reassured, a little relieved that Johnny was initiating the conversation, “because I couldn't think of any time.”

Johnny laughed softly once more before going on.

“If I had to sum up what our dynamic was like back then, it would be a whole lot of sex, a whole lot of lighthearted pillow talks, and the very occasional platonic activity,” Johnny began. “But somewhere down the line, those pillow talks started to get really vulnerable. You started opening up about your family issues as they happened, I started opening up about my constant insecurities with not being good enough for my scholarly parents, and it just became natural for us to talk about some really deep stuff. And I don’t know…. It felt nice to have someone to confide in.

“Sex with you started feeling like more than just sex. To me, it started to also become an intimate way of showing comfort, of making each other feel good when things weren’t so great.

“Then one night, I told you about how it was my grandpa’s death anniversary and how much I missed him because he practically raised me,” Johnny continued. “And that was the first time we didn't do anything except talk all night. You let me cry for as long as I needed to and, God, I didn't realize how much tears I had in my system. But you were so patient, so caring, so… unbelievably present.

“When you left in the morning, I thought about how much our relationship changed since the beginning, and I got scared when I realized that I wanted to be more with you.

“I was scared to ruin what we had by asking if you wanted to try taking our relationship to the next level. Like going out on actual dates, introducing each other to our friends, and really making more space for each other in our everyday lives,” Johnny said. “So I decided to end things shortly after that night because I thought I was doing us a favor by not adding more complications to our dynamic. In hindsight, it was a selfish move to decide this without opening up to you about it first, and I’m sorry.”

Ten waited a few more seconds to see if Johnny was going to continue speaking, but he didn’t. Everything started to make sense for Ten, who used to wonder why Johnny became a little distant after the night they spent just talking. He took Johnny’s distance and eventual cutting of ties as him realizing that he didn’t want to become more, when it was really the opposite.

“I’m sorry, I’m just processing what you told me right now,” Ten said when he felt like the silence had been going on for too long.

“No rush,” Johnny assured.

After about a minute, Ten gathered his thoughts and spoke up.

“For the record, I was scared of what we were becoming, too,” Ten began. “But I guess it was a different kind of scared than what you felt. The changes that we were going through were scary because they were unprecedented, and it seems like that was what made it exciting for me but terrifying for you.

“I was pretty heartbroken when you told me we should end things,” Ten continued, “but I thought I didn't have the right to feel that way or to try convincing you otherwise because we were technically never official. We never explicitly communicated our intentions or feelings for each other at the time, and I told myself I shouldn't continue being sad about something I brought upon myself.”

There was a few seconds of silence before Ten’s voice filled the air once more.

“How did you feel when you realized we were set up for a date?”

“Hm…” Johnny made sure to not miss the freeway exit before going on. “My immediate thought was _well, fuck me._ ”

Ten snorted.

“But as the night progressed, I figured that if our friends set us up with the genuine belief that you and I would be compatible, then maybe this is a sign that we’re meant to be in each other’s lives for much longer than we thought.”

When he approached a red light, Johnny glanced over at Ten as if to see the latter’s reaction. Ten felt his gaze and immediately turned to look at the other, whose soft smile easily filled Ten with the butterflies he hadn’t felt in a while. Ten smiled back and, without a second to think, he cupped Johnny’s cheek and gently caressed it.

Johnny placed his own hand over the one Ten had on his cheek before putting both their hands down and interlocking their fingers. When the stoplight turned green, Johnny continued driving and Ten looked down at their hands. He definitely liked the feeling of Johnny’s hands in his, which he didn't experience a lot of back in college.

“I could ask the same to you, though,” Johnny said. “Why did you agree to reschedule when you already knew it was me?”

“I was really hesitant about agreeing, but there was a part of me that was hopeful,” Ten replied. “You… You meant a lot to me, Johnny. And my friends convinced me that we have the potential to become something despite our past.”

Johnny’s thumb caressed the small patch of skin on Ten’s hand.

“If you let me,” Johnny said. “I want to keep going on these dates with you and to see where this takes us. I promise I won't run away this time.”

Ten’s heart fluttered at the promise, which gave him the peace of mind that he sought for before letting himself fully invest in whatever Johnny and he were getting into. 

“I’d love that,” Ten replied. “One question, though.”

“What is it?”

“Will asking for forehead kisses be pushing it?”

Johnny laughed.

“Not at all.”

“Good.”

 

 

 

“How was your second date?”

Before Ten could swallow his food and reply to Doyoung’s question, Taeyong spoke up.

“By the way he’s been smiling much more these past few days, I would say his dating drought has officially ended.”

“I have not been smiling much more these days.”

“You were literally smiling as you poured milk into your cereal just a minute ago,” Taeyong said.

“Okay, fine, maybe I have been smiling much more these days,” Ten caved in. “I just think about how great of a person Johnny-fucking-Suh is for one second then, bam, I’m suddenly smiling at my inanimate breakfast.”

“I guess that’s kind of cute,” Doyoung said, and Taeyong laughed.

“What happened during the date?” Taeyong asked, biting into his toast.

Ten told his two best friends about the plans they had that day--from brunch, to the photoshoot at the flower fields, and all the way up to the car ride home.

“So to conclude this story, I’ve secured the forehead kisses.”

“He’s secured the forehead kisses!” Taeyong lightheartedly cheered, and both Doyoung and he clapped as Ten playfully bowed in gratitude to them.

“I’m so happy for you,” Doyoung said, and Taeyong nodded in agreement. “Johnny was really sweet when you introduced us to each other.”

Ten smiled at the compliment; Johnny deserved the praise where it was due.

“Out of curiosity, though, are you guys planning to wait until you’re officially together to get intimate again?” Taeyong asked.

“Hm… Come to think of it, we actually never discussed that,” Ten replied. “But I’m guessing that’s the case because we agreed to take things a little slower this time around.”

 

 

 

Two weeks and three more dates.

Two weeks and three more dates was all it took until Ten suddenly felt like he was meeting Johnny for the first time in college again and was filled with a wave of sexual desire for the guy. 

They were currently on Ten’s bed, lounging around and keeping each other company while they minded their own business. Johnny was reading one of the design books he found in Ten’s mini bookshelf while Ten used his phone to scroll through the same three social media accounts. Johnny had his back against the wall while Ten had his back against the headboard, legs thrown over Johnny’s lap.

It was the first time that Johnny visited Ten’s apartment, though neither Doyoung nor Taeyong were home to witness that. Their actual date that day was going to the movies, but after watching a film they figured that it was still too early in the evening to part ways.

(“We can do nothing together at my place if you want.”

“Sounds fun.”)

Ten really wasn't paying attention to anything on his phone screen because his mind was wandering to thoughts about Johnny. Every now and then he would subtly glance at the taller man and just stare at every striking feature of his that he could lay his eyes on at the moment--from the collarbones that were peeking through his shirt, to his sharp jawline, and to his handsome side profile.

“Thrown off by my good looks again?” Johnny teasingly asked when he caught Ten staring. There was a cheeky smile on his face, which Ten both loved and hated.

“Yeah, can you stop looking like that?” Ten replied in faux seriousness.

Johnny laughed, closing the design book and setting it aside.

“Sorry, I’m stuck with this body for the rest of my life,” Johnny said. “You might as well enjoy it.”

“And how do you suggest I enjoy it?” Ten asked, tilting his head teasingly. The tension between them was definitely growing, and Ten knew he had to do something about it soon.

That is until Johnny made the first move and gently pulled Ten over so that the latter could land comfortably on his lap with both legs straddling his sides. Ten felt his heart start to race a mile a minute, not so much because he was nervous but rather because he was excited.

“Can I kiss you?” Johnny asked, gently running a hand up and down Ten’s clothed waist as he looked into Ten’s eyes. “You can say no. I won't mind.”

“You can kiss me,” Ten replied before honestly adding, “I’ve literally been wanting to makeout with you all evening.”

Johnny laughed, leaning in for a short kiss--though it was long enough for Ten to get dazed from it--before asking, “Why didn't you say anything?”

“I’m shy,” Ten said.

“We both know that’s far from the truth.”

“How about we talk less and kiss more?”

“Okay, okay,” Johnny chuckled, planting a quick kiss on Ten’s forehead before going for his lips.

Needless to say, they did far more than just makeout that night.

 

 

 

Now Ten and Johnny didn't plan on spending a whole night with each other, nor did they plan on doing the things they did as many times as they did throughout the night. But shit happens and repressed desires were brought to light that night, which neither of them minded at all.

“Johnny, we really need to stop,” Ten tried his best to sound stern, but he couldn’t help but melt into a string of soft moans as Johnny continued to suck on his already bruised neck. “My stomach’s going to growl soon, and that’s not sexy.”

“Everything about you is sexy,” Johnny smoothly replied as he moved away from Ten’s neck to start kissing him on the lips.

Ten returned the kiss, letting it linger for a few good seconds before using all of his willpower to pull away from Johnny.

“Breakfast. Now,” Ten said, cupping Johnny’s face, which was only centimeters away from his own. “Please, babe.”

“Only because you called me ‘babe,’” Johnny teasingly replied, finally getting up, and Ten’s cheeks warmed up because he didn't realize he let the word slip out of his mouth.

After throwing on some comfortable house clothes, with a couple minutes spent digging through Ten’s closet to find something oversized for Johnny, the two stepped out of the bedroom hand-in-hand with Ten leading the way to the kitchen.

The two immediately stopped in their tracks when they entered the kitchen and saw three people look up at them. And in that moment, Ten realized with absolute mortification that Johnny and he weren’t alone for the whole night, a.k.a everyone heard everything.

There was a thick air of silence before Jaehyun, the honorary housemate, made the executive decision to ignore the elephant in the room and nodded his head, saying, “Hey, Johnny.”

“Hey, Jaehyun,” Johnny replied before greeting Taeyong and Doyoung as well. 

“There’s some bacon, eggs, and pancakes by the stove,” Taeyong said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder towards the said area. “Help yourself out.”

“Thank you,” Johnny and Ten replied in slight unison before heading to where the food was at.

While Johnny was occupied with serving food onto their plates, Ten subtly glanced back at his friends, who started to teasingly make kissy faces and form finger hearts before breaking into silent laughter when Ten could only scowl at them. 

He knew that he wasn’t going to hear the end of it once Johnny leaves the apartment.

 

 

 

Ironically enough, Johnny started to visit Ten’s apartment more after that day. He was very much welcomed with open arms by Ten’s friends to hangout with them whenever they spent time altogether, and Ten couldn’t help but find himself adoring Johnny more and more each day. He got to see the way that Johnny interacted with Taeyong and Jaehyun and gained more depth to Johnny’s longtime friendship with the latter. Johnny talked with Doyoung as if they didn’t just meet each other a couple of weeks ago, easily getting into the habit of roasting the shit out of each other like siblings without any true malice.

And Ten didn’t even know where to begin when he thought about how Johnny’s been making him feel so special and so worthy of the affection that he was being given. Their sex life was very much alive once again, but it was no longer the core of their relationship with each other as it was in the past. Rather, the relationship they currently had was building upon the hours they spent talking about anything and everything, laughing at the same jokes, going on wholesome dates, and making the space in each other’s lives that Johnny once felt like they could never have the chance to do.

Johnny continuously showed how big of a heart he has and had been showing his romantic side more and more these days. He started expressing that side with a beautiful bouquet of flowers (very much earning obnoxious coos from Doyoung and Taeyong when they witnessed the gift-giving), then to candlelit dinners with surreal views of the city each time, then to rose petals and soft music in the bedroom, and everything in between.

Ten was falling hard for Johnny Suh, and he welcomed these feelings wholeheartedly.

 

 

 

 

“First loves never truly fade away. Thankfully, my first love has been my significant other for the past five years.”

“Yes, he has!”

Ten laughed as he listened to Taeyong respond proudly but one-sidedly to the livestream they were currently watching of Jaehyun and Johnny’s radio show. Now Ten rarely tuned into the late night radio show because he often knocked out early on the weekdays, and he’s never tuned into the radio show ever since Johnny became Jaehyun’s co-host. But Ten decided to join Taeyong in watching the show one night, when both of them were off from work and other involvements that day.

“Have you ever had the experience of a first love, JohnD?”

There was a quick pause as Johnny thought about the question before replying.

“Well, I’m not entirely sure if this counts as my first love, but I had a friend in college who I had a really intimate relationship with, emotionally and physically but not necessarily romantically. In hindsight, that friend might have been my first love, but I was too much of a coward to accept that.”

“Ah, yes. I know this story. But for the viewers who don’t and are curious, do you mind elaborating on how this story unfolds?”

“Not at all. We were basically friends with benefits, but I ended things because I caught feelings and thought that was the proper response--It wasn’t. Fast forward a couple of years, and JaeD here decided to set me up on a blind date with a friend of his who--you guessed it--turned out to be that same person.”

“I really didn’t know you two had history with each other, that’s the crazy part.”

“Right? But I like to think that I was given a second chance to reconnect with that person and make ‘what could have been’ a reality.”

“Have you two been doing well lately?”

“More than well, if I’m being honest.”

“So, considering how you two are in the present, would you say that you’ve grown to love him?”

“Yeah, I’ve grown to love him….” A quick look of realization dawned on Johnny’s face at the feelings he just verbally admitted for the first time ever, the expression bringing an amused smile to Jaehyun’s face. Snapping out of his little moment, Johnny turned to his best friend and said, “Oh man... I love him. Like, really love him. Holy _fuck_ \--I mean fudge. I love him.”

“There you have it, folks. JohnD is officially in love.”

Ten saw Taeyong turn to look over at him to see his reaction, but his mind was too preoccupied with the fact that Johnny confessed his love for him on live radio, to thousands of listeners, to really acknowledge Taeyong’s gaze.

“He’s so embarrassing, oh my God I want to kiss him,” Ten eventually said, snapping out of his daze as he looked at Taeyong, who laughed.

“Just ask him to be your official boyfriend already.”

“Oh my God, I want to have his babies.”

“Or that.”

 

 

 

Later that evening, when he heard the front door of his apartment open and the voices of Johnny and Jaehyun fill the air, Ten wasted no time in heading out to the living room and tackling Johnny into a hug. Meanwhile, Jaehyun made his way over to Taeyong’s room to give his friends some space.

“Woah, there,” Johnny said, a bit surprised by the sudden display of affection but definitely not resisting it. “Hello to you, too?”

Not pulling away from the hug, Ten looked up at the taller guy and smiled.

“I tuned into your guys’ radio show today,” he cheekily said, and Johnny’s cheeks immediately turned the softest shade of pink.

“Of all the days you could’ve tuned in, you chose today…” Johnny frowned rather cutely. “It wasn’t my finest episode.”

“But it easily became my favorite episode, you sappy fuck,” Ten replied before tip-toeing high enough to kiss Johnny on the lips.

They continued kissing just a bit longer, and any lingering trace of fluster left Johnny as he gained back the confidence to deepen the kiss.

“Be my boyfriend,” Ten said when they briefly pulled away to catch their breaths.

“Is that a question or a command?” Johnny jokingly asked.

“A command,” Ten lightheartedly replied. “It’s been a long time coming, so there’s really no room for questions.”

“Okay, then, I’ll be your boyfriend,” Johnny laughed, kissing the other once again. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Ten continued to stare up at Johnny, this time with his big innocent eyes and an expectant look on his face. Johnny immediately caught the memo and planted a sweet kiss on the other’s forehead.

Ten smiled in content.

“That will never get old.”

**Author's Note:**

> this came out way longer than i expected LMAO but i hope u enjoyed reading this! 
> 
> i also had no idea what to title this story, but when i started scrolling through my spotify playlist for inspiration i came across a mamma mia song that i really like. then i read the lyrics and realized how fitting the song actually was LOL.


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